Borussia Dortmund are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan as a potential replacement for Jude Bellingham, who is Liverpool’s main target for the summer.
According to Sport1, the German international’s contract situation has made Gundogan an outside contender to replace Bellingham in the summer, with the City star’s current deal due to expire at the end of the season with talks over a new deal currently stalling.
As per the report, Gundogan is the oldest of the targets Dortmund currently have on their list of names to replace Bellingham, yet given the midfielder’s links to the Bundesliga club, the City man could be the most realistic signing if the midfielder is to leave.
Whilst City are interested in Bellingham, Liverpool are the strong favourites to sign the England international in the summer, even with Dortmund naming a £130m asking price for the wonderkid as per the Athletic, with the Anfield side now potentially getting a helping hand from their Manchester rivals.
Indeed, Dortmund making a move to sign Gundogan could not only fully open the door for Bellingham to leave Germany, but it could also allow Liverpool to move in for the teenager for a potentially cheaper transfer fee, something that the Reds could benefit from greatly in the summer.
As for City, allowing their captain to leave to facilitate a Premier League rival to secure one of the biggest transfers in their existence would be a huge shock to the system, especially with Pep Guardiola’s side also interested in signing Bellingham at the end of this season.
Dortmund signing Gundogan could set off an unlikely domino effect
Gundogan looks likely to leave City at the end of this season with the midfielder’s contract situation yet to hit any sort of resolution. And should the 32-year-old decide to return home to Dortmund, this move could set off a chain of events that could actually result in Liverpool signing Bellingham.
As we know Dortmund will want a world-class replacement to replace Bellingham, and with Gundogan a perfect candidate for such a role, Liverpool could have a chance to swoop in during the summer and bring the Englishman back home to the Premier League in a masterstroke move at City’s expense.
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